PLEA DEAL REACHED - 4 Univ of Idaho Students Murdered, Bryan Kohberger Arrested, Moscow, Nov 2022 #110

[StarryStarryNight]

I keep seeing things that say BK “likely” will not have to explain anything about his crime by accepting a plea deal.
“Likely” does not sound definitive to me.
I don’t expect tomorrow for him to spout out anything other than “guilty”, but surely that can’t be all to the deal.
I certainly would expect the prosecution to have conditions to the plea deal, and the biggest thing would be BK will sit down with investigators and tell all. If they didn’t demand this, they truly are idiots, and I don’t think they are.

 

[SteveP]

I speak only for myself. BK took it on himself to play executioner, and imposed the death penalty on Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, and they committed no crimes. For that, BK deserves to have the death penalty imposed on him. He should consider himself very fortunate that this plea deal allows him to continue to live. JMO.

 

[NoeticSoul]

I speak only for myself. BK took it on himself to play executioner, and imposed the death penalty on Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, and Ethan Chapin, and they committed no crimes. For that, BK deserves to have the death penalty imposed on him. JMO.

Agree 100000%

 

[AngTxGal]

I totally agree with you, however, Coward afraid to die.

Why concern yourself with issues over which you have no control? Make a new law that cuts killers off from the public so they can’t enjoy the infamy they seek. While some states have laws (often called "Son of Sam" laws) aiming to prevent criminals from profiting from the publicity of their crimes, these laws have faced legal challenges based on the First Amendment and have been struck down or modified due to concerns about restricting free speech.

I concern myself with such things as Son of Sam laws and others because as per the 1st Amendment I am allowed to state my thoughts, concerns, feelings and opinions here and elsewhere- even if others do not agree.

The idea that I have no control isn’t true. Changes in the laws named after victims due to advocacy groups is exactly how change happens. I am part of such advocacy groups who foster change.
Not all of those victim rights appear in The Constitution- they are called apostrophe laws.
Kendra’s Law
Amber Alert
Megan’s Law
Caylee’s Law
Brady Handgun Law
Matthew Shepard Act
Marshy’s Law

A law could very well be crafted to limit the publicity given to an admitted murderer. It is clear in this age of social media we have a problem with killers enjoying becoming infamous. It is also clear in this day of social media- some school shooters also seek infamy.
Social media has allowed people to even worship such killers, give them a following, create fan clubs, documentaries,
I’m guessing many would see the logic in limiting their public exposure- in the hope of preventing copy cat killers.
That is exactly why constantly saying the names of school shooters has become something reporters are choosing not to do. Uvalde was a great example.

The issue would be how to craft a law to limit media exposure to killers, and how to enforce such a law. The struggle would not be whether it is a violation of the First Amendment, they are confined for life in a cage. Limiting their public exposure is not cruel or unusual.

Any and all such challenges and changes begin with an idea, among people who care, that aren’t swayed by others without vision who simply enjoy shooting down the ideas and work of others.

IMO

 

[Jw192]

What he's going to be, because of the media attention his case has gotten, is a target. He'll be held in solitary for most of his sentence and probably moved to a federal facility for his safety (like Chris Watts and others) because he has a big target on his back simply because of his infamy.

There will always be at least one inmate who has nothing to lose and would love the headlines that would come from beating on a "high profile" inmate or worse. You're right, he will be in a cushty wing to begin with and eventually moved in to gen pop when the media storms calm and everyone forgets his name. Another poster hit the nail on the head though. Inside BK will be a worm. He's got nothing that will earn him "big boy" points inside. The majority won't give a damn about his crimes or the fact he was getting a PhD, it won't matter. He'll be a weird little nobody that has no pull, who will have to ask mam and dad for extra commissary so he can buy extra honey buns to give the other lags so they don't batter him... Not because he's some infamous killer, but because he's easy pickings and they will sniff him out the second he hits the wing.

Bew hew brybrow, ya stinker.

 

[wendy44]

While I agree with the decision, I think the Goncalves family and some of Xana's family really wanted and needed the actual trial--to be sitting in the courtroom with BK while he was confronted with the facts of what he had done. That won't be happening now and they feel like that confrontation has been ripped out from under them.
JMO

 

[Arkay]

These four kids died together in a horrific mass murder.

They come from four different families, sub-divided further because there are step-parents involved as well.

I feel that as an onlooker, I have to give grace to all of them. I don’t feel that I have the right to tell Steve Goncalves to shut it down, nor to tell Ethan’s family to be more angry.

These are THEIR children.

I do know it’s the state’s case and not the families’, but I think each family, or each individual in each family, has the right to react in whatever way alleviates them to any degree.

The Goncalves family wants revenge; an eye for an eye, a life for a life. (Deuteronomy 19:21).

Ethan’s family wants to produce the flower that to them represents Ethan.

Maddie’s dad wants to move on.

Some of these parents were more involved with their children than were others, and that may or may not factor into how they feel about life going forward now.

IMO as a stranger to them, I think they have to feel their feelings.

The DP is suddenly off the table. For some this is a step forward while for some it’s unsustainable.

I was good with BK getting the death penalty, but I’m also good with him being legally found GUILTY at last. I can’t bemoan that we won’t see a trial because it wasn’t meant for our entertainment. We just wanted to know the outcome, and now we do.

JMO of course

 

[minazoe]

they will need to keep sharp objects away from Bryan. I think he is very dangerous and he could be the one who actually kills someone in prison. don't let that deer in the headlights look fool you. He's a big guy who is very strong and obviously would enjoy being able to slaughter someone again. I think the fact that he is big and strong may exacerbate the danger for Bryan too, because some people like a challenge and would love to get the drop on him.

mOO

 

[Cedars]

I think the Goncalves family and some of Xana's family really wanted and needed the actual trial--to be sitting in the courtroom with BK while he was confronted with the facts of what he had done. That won't be happening now and they feel like that confrontation has been ripped out from under them.
JMO

Actually, they will get that. There will be a trial, BK will be confronted with the facts, and he will state "guilty". Then, later, they can make victim impact statements to him and the judge.

What if they were sitting in the courtroom with him as some nincompoop jury can't come to an agreement and a mistrial is declared. Or even worse, the judge reads out their verdict: 'not guilty'. How great would that be?

 

[AngTxGal]

While I agree with the decision, I think the Goncalves family and some of Xana's family really wanted and needed the actual trial--to be sitting in the courtroom with BK while he was confronted with the facts of what he had done. That won't be happening now and they feel like that confrontation has been ripped out from under them.
JMO

Maybe they will get the chance to do this as they read the Victim Statements upon sentencing?

IMO

 

[Jw192]

they will need to keep sharp objects away from Bryan. I think he is very dangerous and he could be the one who actually kills someone in prison. don't let that deer in the headlights look fool you. He's a big guy who is very strong and obviously would enjoy being able to slaughter someone again. I think the fact that he is big and strong may exacerbate the danger for Bryan too, because some people like a challenge and would love to get the drop on him.

mOO

Very good point. He possibly could think he's some Rocky Balbigbawls and want to cause more harm, it's certainly a possibility given how brutal the Moscow crime was. There's a difference though imo between blitz attacking 3 sleeping/drunk young girls and one intoxicated young lad who was by all accounts fast asleep in bed in the middle of the night, and a fellow lag who for all he knows could be in there for peeling some grown man's face off and eating it y'know?

 

[AngTxGal]

they will need to keep sharp objects away from Bryan. I think he is very dangerous and he could be the one who actually kills someone in prison. don't let that deer in the headlights look fool you. He's a big guy who is very strong and obviously would enjoy being able to slaughter someone again. I think the fact that he is big and strong may exacerbate the danger for Bryan too, because some people like a challenge and would love to get the drop on him.

mOO

I do not see him as a brave attacker at all, if anything he will need protection that he will not have.
He does not strike me as having any street smarts, while he may try to fake it.
If dropped in a forest I would think he not likely to survive long. In Texas he would be a ‘city kid’ one who would need his phone to navigate home.

He is a young white guy with an education who is full of himself and considers himself intellectually of a higher status than others. I expect he will Not make friends well.
I also expect he has a temper, and when provoked will pitch a fit. When other seasoned prisoners see that he has a target on his chest- he will become entertainment.

We’ve all seen that kid in class- the one that gets angry when everything doesn’t go his way.
That is how I see BK- odd man out

JMO

 

[bestill]

Just my 2 cents, but I have a feeling his family may have *finally* convinced him to plead guilty.

I thought about this too, he didn't want his family to hear the testimony.

 

[iamshadow21]

Well, I didn't know if his arrogance and his supposed intellect was going to drive him the whole way through his trial, conviction, and decades of appeals to the firing squad.

Instead he's made the shrewd choice Ridgway did - a very prolific serial killer with a low eighties IQ who is living out his senior years on LWOP.

It's the sensible choice for longevity, but I didn't know whether his desire for attention and noteriety was going to override it. Instead, he got his lawyer to make every play she could, and when that didn't work, he tapped out. That shows a comprehensive understanding of his situation and the consequences, which belies any claim that he doesn't have a clear concept of what he did and what that means in the justice system and broader society. So much for his supposed diminished capacity.

Good news, though. No laces to tie in prison shoes. He'll do fine.

MOO

 

[QB2022]

These four kids died together in a horrific mass murder.

They come from four different families, sub-divided further because there are step-parents involved as well.

I feel that as an onlooker, I have to give grace to all of them. I don’t feel that I have the right to tell Steve Goncalves to shut it down, nor to tell Ethan’s family to be more angry.

These are THEIR children.

I do know it’s the state’s case and not the families’, but I think each family, or each individual in each family, has the right to react in whatever way alleviates them to any degree.

The Goncalves family wants revenge, an eye for an eye, a life for a life. (Deuteronomy 19:21).

Ethan’s family wants to produce the flower that to them represents Ethan.

Maddie’s dad wants to move on.

Some of these parents were more involved with their children than were others, and that may or may not factor into how they feel about life going forward now.

IMO as a stranger to them, I think they have to feel their feelings.

The DP is suddenly off the table. For some this is a step forward while for some it’s unsustainable.

I was good with BK getting the death penalty, but I’m also good with him being legally found GUILTY at last. I can’t bemoan that we won’t see a trial because it wasn’t meant for our entertainment. We just wanted to know the outcome, and now we do.

JMO of course

Both sides of the argument are more than valid. All their emotions are valid and justified. It was such an impossible position as there was never going to be a consensus between the families. Someone was going to be devastated whatever route they went, and that is understandable.

The thing that makes me lean more on one side to the other is saving the surviving two from the trauma of it all, for potentially years. For BF and DM, I think it will likely be the right call.

I would like to see a clause in the deal that he can't profit or speak with the media.

 

[SteveP]

Idaho has a law that prevents BK from profiting off his murders. In addition, I hope that all of the victims' families file wrongful death civil suits against him, and take very penny he may ever make. JMO

19-5301. Distribution of moneys received as a result of the commission of crime. (1) Every person, firm, corporation, partnership, association or other legal entity contracting with any person or the representative or assignee of any person, accused of a crime in this state, with respect to the reenactment of such crime, by way of a movie, book, magazine article, radio or television presentation, live entertainment of any kind, or from the expression of such person’s thoughts, feelings, opinions or emotions regarding such crime, shall pay over to the state treasurer any moneys which would otherwise, by terms of such contract, be owing to the person so convicted or his representatives. The state treasurer shall deposit such moneys in an escrow account for the benefit of and payable to any victim of crimes committed by such person, provided that such person is eventually convicted of the crime or is acquitted on the ground of mental disease or defect excluding responsibility and provided further that such victim, or his personal representative, within five (5) years of the date the escrow account has been established, brings a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction and recovers a money judgment against such person or his representatives.

Section 19-5301 – Idaho State Legislature

legislature.idaho.gov

 

[ilovewings]

These four kids died together in a horrific mass murder.

They come from four different families, sub-divided further because there are step-parents involved as well.

I feel that as an onlooker, I have to give grace to all of them. I don’t feel that I have the right to tell Steve Goncalves to shut it down, nor to tell Ethan’s family to be more angry.

These are THEIR children.

I do know it’s the state’s case and not the families’, but I think each family, or each individual in each family, has the right to react in whatever way alleviates them to any degree.

The Goncalves family wants revenge, an eye for an eye, a life for a life. (Deuteronomy 19:21).

Ethan’s family wants to produce the flower that to them represents Ethan.

Maddie’s dad wants to move on.

Some of these parents were more involved with their children than were others, and that may or may not factor into how they feel about life going forward now.

IMO as a stranger to them, I think they have to feel their feelings.

The DP is suddenly off the table. For some this is a step forward while for some it’s unsustainable.

I was good with BK getting the death penalty, but I’m also good with him being legally found GUILTY at last. I can’t bemoan that we won’t see a trial because it wasn’t meant for our entertainment. We just wanted to know the outcome, and now we do.

JMO of course

Very well said

 

[Arkay]

The idea that Bryan Kohberger will be respected or treated well in prison shows a fundamental misunderstanding of how prisons actually work.

Prison has a strict social order. Respect isn’t earned through media coverage, IQ scores, or academic credentials—it’s built on gang affiliation, reputation, and internal influence. Unless you hold power in that system, you’re at the bottom. Kohberger has no gang ties, no reputation, and no support inside. He’s not connected, feared, or respected. He’s a liability.

Some people seem convinced that Kohberger will somehow stand out in prison because he’s educated, quiet, and doesn’t “look” like the stereotypical inmate. But that’s part of the problem. His race, academic background, and soft-spoken image have led many to overestimate him—and in some cases, even sympathize with him—despite the brutality of his alleged actions. If he didn’t present as clean-cut or middle class, public perception would likely be much harsher.

Inside prison, none of that matters. Inmates don’t care how many groupies you have or how “famous” your case is. They don’t admire killers for being calculated, quiet, or book smart. They see right through that act. They’ll see Kohberger for what he is: a coward who killed in the dark, locked away in PC, written off before he even hits the yard.

Not all violent offenders are treated the same in prison. Many inmates have their own code. They certainly don’t respect people who kill innocent victims just for fantasy. Survival, retaliation, or impulsive decisions are more relatable. Kohberger’s crime doesn’t fit that mold—and it won’t earn him any respect, either.

Robert Pickton was murdered in prison. Jeffrey Dahmer was beaten to death. Richard Loeb, educated and wealthy, met his maker via straight razor. Kohberger has far less status, and his name won’t protect him.

He brings nothing to the table—no power, no respect, no usefulness. The idea that inmates will seek out his legal advice is far-fetched. Most won’t trust him. Many won’t even want to be seen speaking to him.

That’s why he’ll likely be kept in protective custody—not out of importance, but out of necessity. Inmates in PC are often viewed as weak or disposable. It’s not a step up—it’s the graveyard tier.

Kohberger won’t be respected. He won’t be feared.
He won’t be a presence.
To the inmates, he’ll just be another goof.

And that’s not a wish for street justice, or some personal fantasy to feel better.
It’s the cold, hard truth.

@Danaya
Very insightful post.

I suppose that in the kind of prison that houses mass murderers,”street cred” counts for much more status than does being book-smart.

I think he will be considered a whiny little nerd, as perhaps he was his whole life, but this time he’s going to be around people who aren’t playing. He’s going to be an object of derision at best, someone's toy at worst.

Maybe someday when he’s picked up some prison smarts, if he ever does, some guy will ask him to help write a paper for that guy’s parole hearing, or something similar.

If BK never fit in before, he’s certainly not going to fit in with people whose lives have been very different than his.

JMO

 

[mmeynstyn]

Well, I am very confused about my feelings. On the one hand I feel a sense of relief for his parents, the would-be jurors, the witnesses, and even some of the victims families that have done everything in their power to move on. Also, no more innocent victims for BK. On the other hand, I actually wanted him to die. I will probably go to h*ll for thinking that way. It just seems so unfair. Especially because he seems like the type that might like prison.

Please tell me he won't get his vegan meals in prison. JMO, sometimes it seems the suspect and in this case - the guilty is treated too good. Please tell me the offer of a plea deal is not ONLY about the $. I know, I know....there are other benefits as I've acknowledged above.

And, darn....I can't watch the hearing tomorrow. I want to see his face when he pleads. Will he show ANY remorse or embarrassment for being the worst criminal justice PHD student ever!?

 

[iamshadow21]

Well, I am very confused about my feelings. On the one hand I feel a sense of relief for his parents, the would-be jurors, the witnesses, and even some of the victims families that have done everything in their power to move on. Also, no more innocent victims for BK. On the other hand, I actually wanted him to die. I will probably go to h*ll for thinking that way. It just seems so unfair. Especially because he seems like the type that might like prison.

Please tell me he won't get his vegan meals in prison. JMO, sometimes it seems the suspect and in this case - the guilty is treated too good. Please tell me the offer of a plea deal is not ONLY about the $. I know, I know....there are other benefits as I've acknowledged above.

And, darn....I can't watch the hearing tomorrow. I want to see his face when he pleads. Will he show ANY remorse or embarrassment for being the worst criminal justice PHD student ever!?

He will get his vegan meals. It's not a difficult accommodation. A lot of different diets are catered to by providing a vegan option. There's no meat, so it's suitable for vegans, vegetarians, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, etc. It's going to be very boring fare, though. Think institutional boiled slop on a tray rather than delicious fresh salads and delicately steamed in season vegetables.

MOO